186 



National Resources Committee 



Research Council in tlie natural sciences; 78 by the 

 American Council of Learned Societies in the human- 

 ities; and 258 by the Social Science Research Coun- 

 cil in the social sciences. Wliile some of the awards 

 seemingly brought disappointing returns, perhaps 20 

 percent were highly gratifying. There is a strong 

 feeling that these postdoctoral fellowships are an im- 

 portant factor in the research development of the Na- 

 tion and should be maintained as generously as pos- 

 sible. Possibly Federal grants for this purpose should 

 be made. Certainlj' a supply of highly trained re- 

 search men is of vital importance to the Nation today. 

 A careful report on results so far secured from fellow- 

 ships and the probable number it is seriously desirable 

 to award annually might throw important light on this 

 subject. 



Research activities of college teachers. — A consid- 

 erable amount of potential research ability is lost each 

 year in the small colleges. While many of their staff 

 members have had training in research methods and 

 are eager to carry on some research, the lack of facil- 

 ities and the absence of the stimulating influence of 

 contacts with other research workers in the same field 

 discourage creative work. 



It would seem worth while, and indeed a duty of the 

 universities, to concern themselves with these isolated 

 research workers. The universities frequently have in 

 connection with their own broad programs minor prob- 

 lems that would provide suitable ground for coopera- 

 tive effort. Many problems that might seem trivial 

 or uninteresting if considered singly, take on fresh 

 meaning if part of a larger program. To take a par- 

 ticular example, often the physicist or astronomer in 

 a small college is himself a one man department and 

 has no one with whom to discuss his work. 



It would seem to the obvious advantage of the 

 larger institutions to encourage in each field of study 

 cooperative efforts in which tb" teaching staffs of the 

 neighboring smaller institutions could take part. In 

 some cases the work would have to be done in the 

 laboratoi'ies and libraries of the larger institution dur- 

 ing summer vacations or times of sabbatical leave. In 

 other cases, particularly when the cooperating institu- 

 tions were geographically close together, more fre- 

 quent work in the larger laboratory would be possible. 

 And again, cases might arise where equipment would 

 be lent to the smaller institution for the purposes of 

 the cooperative investigation. 



In general it might seem that experimental work 

 would more easily be carried out in the larger labor- 

 atory and the data thus obtained would be reduced and 

 examined at the smaller institution. Theoretical work 

 could be carried on anywhere provided frequent visits 

 to the larger institution were possible for staff con- 



sultation and use of library facilities. In the social 

 sciences such cooi:)erative research could often be car- 

 ried on more easily and advantageously than in the 

 natural sciences. 



The mutual advantages of such cooperation seem ob- 

 vious, both in advancing reseai-ch and in the intellec- 

 tual development of those taking part in the work. 

 These advantages will be realized most fully when 

 both institutions make their own fair contributions in 

 support of the cooperative project. The nature of the 

 research must be such that it is worth doing in itself, 

 that it contributes to the general research program of 

 the larger institution, and that it is intellectually 

 stimulating to the investigators engaged in it. Under 

 such circumstances the expenses incurred, if any, should 

 be divided appropriately between the two institutions 

 and should never be borne by one institution alone. 

 No formal organization is proposed and any arrange- 

 ment entered into should be continued only as long as 

 is mutually advantageous. 



Finally, such cooperative programs may be sug- 

 gested as appropriate for grants-in-aid from national 

 or local agencies assisting research, such grants-in-aid 

 to cover approximately one-third of the cost of the 

 project, the remaining two-thirds being shared betweeii 

 the cooperating institutions. Such a plan seems suffi- 

 ciently flexible to stimulate cooperation and yet to 

 guarantee that the project is one of real mutual 

 advantage. 



The enthusiasm and alertness of the college staffs 

 would be stimulated. More brilliant students would 

 be recruited to research and many of them would be 

 directed to the research institutions near at hand. 

 Many colleges have expressed an interest in this plan 

 and it seems quite worth a careful trial. If a small 

 grant were available a competent person could make 

 an attempt to develop and work out such relationships 

 in one or two States. 



Personnel Records of the Ablest Research Workers. — 

 In view of the importance and volume of the research 

 work done by the Government and the necessary con- 

 stant change in personnel, it seems essential to high effi- 

 ciency that the Government have access to accurate 

 personnel records. Such records would be equally 

 useful to the universities and to industry. As has been 

 said earlier, there are about 50,000 research workers in 

 the country and perhaps 8 to 12 percent are persons 

 of high abilitj'. Such a record should contain brief, 

 up-to-date sketches of from 4,000 to 6,000 men and 

 women. Two methods by which such lists could be 

 l^repared and made available have been suggested : 



The Government Could Prepare and Maintain Per- 

 sonnel Records. — Each Goverimient agency could be 

 asked to prepare such a list of the research workers 



